Apple iPad 2 launch slated for March 2nd

Apple iPad 2 launch slated for March 2nd

Apple is expected to launch the next generation iPad next week at an event in San Francisco on March 2, reports have said.

It has also been suggested that the new device will go on sale a month later, according to sources.

Apple has booked the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to launch iPad 2, where Steve Jobs also launched the orginal device.

Speculation in the run up to March 2 is now likely to focus on whether Mr Jobs will will make an appearance at the event.

He has been on medical leave from Apple since mid-January, and was pictured last week leaving a cancer clinic in Silicon Valley. Tim Cook, the firm's chief operating officer, is overseeing day-to-day opertaions in his absence.

The device itself is likely to be thinner and lighter than current iPad models, which have sold more than 15 million units since release last March. Industry watchers also expect iPad 2 to feature a front-mounted camera for video calling, and a higher-resolution screen.

There have also been claims that Apple will announce a cheaper 7-inch model, to help it battle competition from the onrushing wave of devices running a new version of Google's Android OS designed for tablets, Honeycomb.